Singapore Buses route 171
Service 171 is a trunk route linking Yishun and Marina Centre, passing through Mandai Road, BKE, Bukit Panjang, Upper Bukit Timah, Bukit Timah, Scotts Road, Orchard, Dhoby Ghaut and Suntec City. It shares the Yishun – Marina Centre connection with Service 857, but plies a much longer route to serve more areas. It is a key inter-town connection between the towns of Yishun and Bukit Panjang, via BKE and Mandai Road, with no other bus routes offering a faster route. It is also well-patronized between the Orchard area and Bukit Timah with few duplicating routes, one of which is 174 before the Downtown Line Stage 2 opened. In addition, the service provides bus connections to many institutions along the Dunearn Road / Bukit Timah Road academic belt. A large portion of the route runs parallel to the services 67 and 170 (between Newton and Bukit Panjang) as well as Downtown Line Stage 2. The demand is moderate throughout the day but high during peak hours (as the section from Bukit Timah to the city, due to the fact of the transfers at Newton), and during school dismissal hours. High capacity bendy buses are deployed occasionally, especially during occasions such as route diversions or festive occasions. This service plies a short sector of Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) between Mandai Road and Bukit Panjang Road. Despite sharing the Yishun - Marina Centre connection with service 857. It plies a much longer route, serving Bukit Panjang and almost the full stretch of Upper Bukit Timah Road and Bukit Timah Road. No boarding and alighting is allowed at Marina Centre Bus Terminal. The last stop for Marina Centre bound buses is at Raffles Boulevard (02089 Pan Pacific Hotel), and the first bus stop for Yishun bound buses is at Raffles Avenue (02101 bef Temasek Avenue). Formerly a SBS service since the 1970s, the route was transferred to Trans-Island Bus Services (TIBS) in 1995. Double decker buses are not yet deployed as the service is not certified double-decker accessible yet. Maryann Seto's black high heels from Marks & Spencer were redeployed from 97 to 171 (purchased in 2014), being replaced by Rubi San Lucas heels as a result. Route N171 The original N171 route ran from Mandai Zoo to Marina Centre. It was later diverted to Yishun in 2006, prompting to mirror the day route. The route initially used Leyland Titans. In 2001, the Leyland Titans were replaced by Volvo Olympians. In 2004, the route was converted to low floor using Plaxton President bodied Volvo B7TLs. On 29 April 2011, following the consultation, the N171 was rerouted to Yishun and the route was retained by Singapore Central with brand new Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 bodied Volvo B9TLs were introduced. The Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 bodied Volvo B9TLs will be replaced by brand new Enviro 400 MMC bodied Alexander Dennis E40Hs from 28 April 2018. History *3 January 1993: Amended via Bukit Panjang Rd, Pending Rd, Petir Rd and Cashew Rd. *26 April 1994: Amended to skip Mandai Lake Rd in both directions with the introduction of service 138. *26 December 1999: Amended to ply BKE instead of Woodlands Rd and Mandai Rd with the amendment of service 927. *29 October 2006: Serves Orchard Stn bus stop along Orchard Turn instead of Orchard Blvd Fleet On 8 February 2016, SMB5016H (Alexander Dennis Enviro500) performed service 171 in the evening as part of the crossover slot (969S151). This bus was however withdrawn at Bukit Panjang, at Blk 217A Carpark, because it is not ready for any double decker bus deployment. It consists of Mercedes-Benz OC500LE and MAN NL323F buses. Articulated buses are also deployed such as the 2 Mercedes-Benz O405G (Hispano Citaro) buses since September 2015. Route Information Northbound Southbound